Actor George Wendt died on Tuesday, TMZ reports. He was 76.
The late Cheers star’s family informed the outlet that he passed away in his sleep, though a cause of death was not specified.
A spokesperson for Wendt, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, described him as a devoted family man and a cherished companion to all fortunate enough to be acquainted with him.
“He will be missed forever,” they added. “The family has requested privacy during this time.”
Wendt is best recognized for his portrayal of Norm Peterson on the popular show Cheers, featuring in every single episode of the beloved sitcom. Running for 11 seasons between 1982 and 1993, the series garnered him six Emmy nominations, as reported by Variety.
In a noteworthy reunion, the actor joined his former co-stars Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson in the summer of 2024 for an episode of their podcast Where Everybody Knows Your Name.
Wendt was born on Oct. 17, 1948, per THR. According to the outlet, Wendt started off his career in comedy at Second City.
He also made a name for himself on Saturday Night Live after hosting the sketch comedy show in 1991, appearing as Bob Swerski in the Bill Swerski’s Superfans sketch, per People.
Wendt’s talents led to him scoring his own eponymous sitcom, The George Wendt Show, though it was short-lived.
The Chicago native, who was one of nine children, also made cameos on numerous sitcoms and series over the course of his career — both before and after Cheers — including Hart to Hart, Taxi, Alice, Seinfeld, Spin City, The Naked Truth, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, George Lopez, Family Guy, and The Goldbergs.
In terms of film, Wendt earned credits in Forever Young (1992), The Little Rascals (1994), Bye Bye Birdie (1995), Alice in Wonderland (1999), Santa Buddies (2009), Sandy Wexler (2017) , and Christmas with the Campbells (2022), among many others.
Per ABC News, Wendt is the uncle of fellow actor and comedian Jason Sudeikis. During an appearance at last year’s Motor City Comic Con, sports reporter Brad Galli asked Wendt about Sudeikis’ tribute to Cheers in the Ted Lasso finale. Wendt said he learned about the Easter egg from Cheers writer and co-creator Les Charles, who he said got “choked up” and was “really moved” by the homage to the sitcom.
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